Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-04-15
Deceiving the Taxpayers.

MT. EdttT 1t seems That while the list
OF April found US with snow on the ground,
Mist had alse fallen upon Reform and
Reformers. But while desire to say some
thing to your readers upon the subject, do
not propose TO decorate anybody with per-
sonal abuse.
In the first place would suggest that, in
the face vi the fact Of the great array of
specific charges made AS 10 the corruption
of the ballot in Baltimore city aad the bad
management Of the State finances, no denial
of amy of them has ever been made public,
1t would be idle, a mere waste of breath, to
argue with man SO hardened as TO pre-.
nounce them "glittering generalities, sput-
tered against dark back ground OF imagi-
nary corruptions," &c.
Is Mr.. Mist mystifed himself, or does
he designedly propose to mystify others,
when he says that the Baltimore and Ohis
Railroad Company has always bought the
Legislature when it wished 10 do so? Has
he forgotten that, for the last twenty years,
eur Legislatures have been under the ALSO.
lutte control of the identical element that Is
now, and has always been, waging a relsnt.
less warfare against Reform.
As to the bossism, II is q fact as we'll
known as any in our political history that
Immediately after the accession Of the DEM
ocrstic party TO power, in 1867, political
cligarchy was formed which seized, worked
and controlled the whole party machinery,
and prostituted it to the purposes of public
plumber. This combination is known as
the "ring," and the ring.lsaders as "bcsses. "
In order TO intrench themselves permanent
ly in power, a lucrative position or profita-
bic job was provided for active men Of sufi.
cient influence to make them formidable as
n mar aiu1 a Ill To-, tt,...x
would consent to work in any harness pre-
pared for them at headquarters, and become
the "plastic tools" OF the bosses TO this cad
offices were multiplied and the public rev.
enues poured out like water. But lest l
should be liable to the charge Of dealing in
"glittering generaltiss" will make few
specifications:
The offices of Tax and Insurance Com
missions were created with salary Of $500
each, and $500 travelling expenses, To per-
form duties which had hitherto been per-
formed by the Comptroller OF the Treasury !;
a Superintendent of Telegraph to the House
OF Correction was given salary Of $500,
when In fact there was no such telegraph
line; a salary of $1,000 was given To the
Secretary of the Senate for recording births
and marriages when no such record was
made; $4,000 a session, prisr to 1882, was
paic for the Legislative printing, land one
or two sessions as much as $67 ,000,) when it
has since been demonstrated that it should
have been done ier about one-third Of the
Money regularly paid; 105 officers and ben
eficiaries were employed by the Legislature,
at cost OF over $59, 900, when committee
Of the same body, after careful investiga-
ton, reported that only about 80 were need
ed, al cost of about $4,000; extra com
pensaten was allowed to sfficers and mem.
bers serving on committees, and presents
made to newspaper reporters.
As consequence Of such extravaganza
we have seen the Treasury officers com
PEELED To apply revenues dedicated To the
payment OF the loan debts of the State to
the payment of these extraordinary ex.
penses Of the government, and not only
that, but II was found necessary TO create a
new loan of 100000 at one time, and one
of $125, 900 at another, to keep the machinery
Of government in motion In imitation of
Republican prodigalty the shaking funds
were squandered, and the result is, that we
are still paying State tax Tor debts that
should have been liqudated, and under re-
cent refunding acts will have to pay 1t from
ten TO fifteen years longer; for the last two
fiscal years We have reported over half a
million Of dollars US surplus In the Treasury,
lying idle in the banks, while the people are
taxed to pay interest on the money. The
oyster service and tobacco warehouses that
paid revenue 10 the State, under Governor
Hamllton's administration, cost it last yoar
about $500 and $1,000 respectively.
III II Is fact (as some assert) that We must
have political boss he is such a one as
honest taxpayers would desire, and when
these matters come To be understood such u
one they will have, whether he We called u
Democrat or not
Now, sir, these are some Of the abuses that
we want reformed, but we do not expect as
slstance from those under such "Mist" rs
To call them Imaginary corruptions"
The TACT Is this prejudice against the Bal.
tmore and Ohio Railroad is appeale To To
direct the public mind from ths real issues
involved, but when patriotic gentlemen,
who have had ample opportunity 10 share
this plumber, but have shown by the purity
oi their lives that they dsdained 10 pallute
their hands with it, dare expose and pro
test against such abuse Of public trust, are
in vulgar slang, stigmatized as disgruntlei
ssrebeads, &c, 1t is, at least, a piece Of ef-
frsntcry that should BE- enveloped in u
Mis-" or sbscured by nom de plume.
THOMAS WATERS, OF S.
L. BIT may Oe SAID, US To some oil the
abuses above mentioned, that they are things
ol the past and have been corrected. So
they were, TO some extent, in 1889, when it
was pain that we had 10 retrench or lose
the State; they are referred 10, now, to show
1T, the origin objects and methods OF this
selfish and greedy political junto called the
ring Bad, the consequences OF its wanton
extravaganza; Bird, that under its arsitrary
rule We have drilled back into the same
channels; 4th, their object in csrruptng the
ballot in Baltimore city, and last, but not
least, that they mercilessly Islander every
decent ind honest Democrat who ventures
10 oppose them. L. w., of 5.